West Coast Eagles midfielder Patrick McGinnity has set a new low in football behaviour. As the teams left the field for half-time on Sunday at Etihad Stadium, McGinnity picked out Melbourne forward Ricky Petterd and told him if he came to Perth he’d rape his mother.

What?

How McGinnity could even think that, let alone say it, is beyond comprehension.

His punishment?

A week’s suspension, and a $2,500 fine. Bashed by a feather.

While McGinnity is the perpetrator, he isn’t the only guilty party in this disgraceful incident.

The AFL needs pilloring for letting McGinnity off so lightly: a 10-match suspension and a $50,000 fine would have shortened him up.

And McGinnity’s manager, ex-footballer David Sierakowski, had the audacity to accuse Petterd of being “thin-skinned”. The manager is no better than his foul-mouthed client.

The AFL should slap a $50,000 fine on Sierakowski as well, just to set the record and the manager straight as to what unacceptable behaviour is all about.

Which begs the question, what stance has AFL boss Andrew Demetriou taken?

“I’m very thankful Ricky Petterd stood up. You need people to stand up and take courageous decisions like that”.

Excuse me. A courageous decision?

A foul-mouth had threatened to rape his mother if he came to Perth, and Petterd was courageous to dob the mouth in?

Demetriou has come out with same mighty lame quotes over the years, but this one takes the cake.

Matched by AFL operations manager Adrian Anderson.

“We make no apologies for our stance about respectful behaviour towards women.

“There’s no way Ricky Petterd should be embarrassed, or in any way portrayed as the villain in this”.

Excuse me, what planet are you on Anderson?

It’s almost getting to the stage where McGinnity is lost in the telling, instead of being publicly shamed for his unforgiveable outburst.

The more I write about this, the more gobsmacked I’ve become. What is happening to acceptable behaviour?

Sledging has been going on for a 100 years, and it’ll still be there in another 100 years.

But McGinnity wasn’t sledging. He was vilifying the mother of an opponent, a totally innocent and not-involved party

And he’s copped a week’s holiday and a $2,500 fine?

Bad call AFL, but you always look after your own, even when they are as guilty as sin.

Your corrective move, boss, if you’ve got the bottle.